Improved car-coupling



l tion.

l @halted tant @met @tibia 'WWW-3W des I'HOMAS CALDWELL AND LEWIS C. WILCOX, OF BUFFALO, NEW

YORK.

Letters Patent No. 87,142, dated February 23, 1869.-

IMPROVEID CARfCOUYPLING.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making vpau-tof the same.

- To all whom t may concern:

Y Be it known that we, THOMAS CALDWELL and LEWIS G. WILcoX, of Buffalo, in the county ofErie, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Oar-0ouplin'g; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifica- This invention relates to a new and improved carconpling, of that class which are commonly termed self-coupling, and consists in a peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully shown4 and described, whereby the portions of the coupling at each end of a car are precisely alike, each portion complete in itself, so thateither end of any two adjoining cars may be coupled together, thereby avoiding the trouble and embarrassment of inspecting cars, with a View of seeing that certain ends of the same adjoin each other, and if not, the placing ofthe cars, or removing the same, and substituting others intheir place to obtain that result.

The invention further possesses the advantage of having an extra cpnpling-mechanisin, so that in case of the breaking or giving way of the one in use, the other may be instantly applied. v l

"Ihe invention also possesses the advantage of being readily nncoupled, and capable of being applied to either freight or passenger-cars.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings- F'gnre l is a longitudinal section of the invention, taken in the line x x, fig. 3.

Figure 2 is an invertedvplan of the same. v

Figure 3 is an inverted plan of two car-platforms, coupled together by our invention. Y

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents the platform of a car, and

B is a metal block attached to the car, with an India-rubber or other spring, O, behind it, the parts being arranged in such a manner that the block is allowed to yield or give.

D is a draw-head, the rear Vend of which is attached,

by a pivot-bolt, a, to the block B.

This draw-head is made in the forni of a loop or yoke, and may be freely turned either to the right or left on its bolt a.

E E are two springs or elastic bars, having shoulders or hooks F F at their outer ends', as shown clearly in figs. 2 and 3.

These springs or elastics are connected to the block B, and they are retained in properv position, or prevented from casually moving laterally out of the line of draught, by means of springs G G, which'are at- Lached, one to each side of block B, and bear -against the outer sides of the bars E E.

H H are two plates, which are connected together, one above the other, by bolts. The bars E E are between these plates, and the latter are allowed to slide freely back and forth on the former.

Between the fr'ont parts of the plates H there are hook.

pivoted, as shown at o c, two short bars I I, which project forward of the plates H H a short distance, and between the rear parts of said plates there is iitted, on a bolt, I,an oval-shaped cam, J.

On the upper part of the cam-boltd there is fitted l an arm, K, the outer end of which is connected by a rod L, with an arm, M, at the lower endA of a shaft, N, which extends up through the platform, and has a crank, O, on its upper end, shown clearly in iig. 1

The draw-head D has an arm, e,-projeoting from its -outer end, and the front end of said arm has a head,

P, shaped like an arrow or dart, as shown clearly in gs.' 2 and 3.

In ordcr to admit of two cars connecting themselves when coming in contact, the draw-headD of one platform is turned aside, or out of line with the draw-head of the other platform, and as the' two platforms A A come in contact, the head P of the draw-head, which is parallel with the sides of the platform to which it is attached, passes between the hooks F F of the bars E E, which are connected with the other platform, the head P forcing apart the hooks F F, as it passes between them, and the elasticity ofthe bars E Ethrowing the hooks F F behind the head P after it has passed between them. (See g.

In order to disconnect the two cars, the shaft N is turned in such a direction that the plates H will be drawn or'moved by the arm M, rod L, and arm K, to'- ward the hooks F F, and the bars Il I will pass between the sides of the head P and the bars E E, while the hooks F' F will be spread apart, and fullyv freed from the head P, when the ends of I I come in coutact with the inner ends of the hooks, by the oval cam J, which is turned when the movement of the plates H is stopped by the bars I coming in contact with the inner ends of the hooks. v

Theroice of the bars I I is to prevent the lateral movement of the head P, while the hooks F F are being disengaged from it, so that both hooks can be simultaneously moved off from the head, the latter not being allowed to move so as to. catch over either rIhe cam J, when turned, gives the final movement to the elastic bars E E, which liberate the head P.

In case the head P, of one draw-head D, should break, the draw-head of the other platform may be used.

Having thus described ourinvention,

We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Thedraw-head D, pivoted to the block B, and provided with vthe arm e and head P, in connection with the elastic bars E E, provided with the hooks F F,

the sliding platesH H, provided with the pivoted bars I I, and the cam J, all being arranged to operate in the manner substantially as and for the purposeset f forth.

THOS. CALDWELL.

LEWIS (L'WILGOX.l

Witnesses:

Fnnnk W. BARTLETT, J. W.' SANFORD. 

